Transcript HOMEWORK WITHOUT TEARS

HOMEWORK
WITHOUT TEARS
How to motivate your child
to do homework and
succeed in school…
Written by R. Cottle-Makhene
and S. Robertson
What is homework
without tears?
Do any of these situations occur in your home?
•
You and your children have nightly battles about doing
homework.
•
Your children rush through homework assignments, with sloppy,
incomplete results.
•
Your children “forget” to bring their homework assignments
home.
•
You do more of the homework than your children do.
Written by: R. Cottle-Makhene
•
Your children take forever to finish their homework assignments.
•
Your children insist that they are able to do homework while
watching TV, talking on the phone, and listening to the stereo.
•
The first time you hear about a major project is the night before
its due…and it isn’t finished.
If you answered “yes” to any of the above, then this night is for You.
Written by: R. Cottle-Makhene
Why is homework
important?
• Homework affects achievement in school.
• Homework teaches your children responsibility.
• Homework is the key link between home and
school.
• Your children’s success is in your hands.
Written by: R. Cottle-Makhene
Homework Without
Tears Checklist:
Have you:
• Set up a proper study area in your home?
• Established Daily Homework Time?
• Taken steps to encourage your children to do their
•
•
•
•
•
homework independently?
Consistently praised your children’s efforts?
Used additional incentives if necessary?
Communicated so that your children really listen?
Taken a firm stand?
Contacted your children’s teacher if necessary?
Written by: R. Cottle-Makhene
How to set up a proper
study area!
• You and your child should choose an age-appropriate
•
•
•
•
special place where they will do homework.
Make sure that the space is well lit.
Make sure the area is distraction-free (toys, noise,etc.)
Post a “DO NOT DISTURB” sign during your homework
time.
Equip your child’s work space with a Homework Survival
Kit.
Written by: R. Cottle-Makhene
Homework must be done
on time!
• Tell your children exactly how you expect homework time
•
•
•
•
to be scheduled.
Make sure that all of your children’s scheduled
activities are written down on a daily schedule.
Ask your child’s teacher how long homework should be
worked on each day.
Determine the best time period each day to be set aside
for Daily Homework Time.
Check your child’s agenda daily.
Written by: R. Cottle-Makhene
• Establishing Daily Homework Time may be the single
most important step you take in solving your children’s
homework problems. No longer will homework be
regarded as something to be “squeezed in” between
other activities…if there’s time. Daily Homework Time
takes the guesswork-and the tears-out of getting
homework done on time. When you establish Daily
Homework Time, you are giving your children the
message that homework is the number one priority in
your home.
Written by: R. Cottle-Makhene
How to get your children
to work on their own!
• Tell your children that you expect them to do
homework on their own.
• Use the process of encouragement
CAUTION!
Do not do the work for your children!
Do not teach concepts to your children!
Written by: R. Cottle-Makhene
Guidelines for parental
involvement:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Check each day to see if your child has a homework
assignment.
Tell your child when daily homework time begins.
Check to see if your child has all the necessary materials.
Ask your child to tell you what the homework assignment is.
If needed read the directions together with your child.
Make sure that he/she understands.
Be available to answer questions.
Praise your child’s efforts.
Give your child help only after he makes an effort on his own.
Utilize study skills to help your child work independently.
Written by: R. Cottle-Makhene
Motivate your children to
do their best work!
• Consistently praise your children’s
efforts.
• Tell your children specifically what you
like about what they are doing or what
they have done.
• Remember that a hug or a pat on the
shoulder will increase the impact of your
message.
Written by: R. Cottle-Makhene
Praise is appreciated by all children. It is
particularly important for children who are hard
to motivate. Keep in mind the enormous impact
your praise can have on building their selfesteem and on helping them to develop
appropriate behavior concerning homework. With
your continual positive support, children can be
motivated to develop a positive self-image and to
approach homework with a confident, I-can-doit attitude.
Written by: R. Cottle-Makhene
Great ideas that really
work!
• Tell your children that you are going to use
•
•
•
•
some new ideas to help them do their
homework.
Choose an incentive that your child will
appreciate.
Be consistent.
Phase out incentives.
Remember that giving incentives is YOUR
CHOICE.
Written by: R. Cottle-Makhene
Grades K-3
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Beat the clock
Spinner
Homework award
Homework contract
Grades 4-6
Trade off
Chunking
Spinner
Homework award
Homework contract
Written by: R. Cottle-Makhene
How to communicate so
that your children will
listen!
• Tell your children-clearly and
firmly-that you expect them to do
their homework responsibly.
• Don’t argue with your children.
Use the broken record technique.
Written by: R. Cottle-Makhene
• Arguing with your children is a no-win
situation. The only result is that everyone
gets angry, nothing is solved, and whatever
message you’re trying to communicate is
lost. When you learn to speak so that your
children will listen, everybody feels better.
You feel good because you calmly stated
your expectations, and your children feel
better because they know exactly what is
expected of them.
Written by: R. Cottle-Makhene
Take a firm stand!
• Tell your children that the choice is theirs.
• Don’t make meaningless threats of punishment.
• Be consistent with following through and your
demands.
• Be prepared for your children to test you to
see if you mean business (crying, anger,
indifference).
• If you can’t be home during daily homework
time monitor your children to make sure that
they are doing homework.
Written by: R. Cottle-Makhene
Your partner at school,
the Teacher
• Contact the teacher if your child cannot do the
homework assignments.
• Contact the teacher if your
home assigned work.
• Contact the teacher if your
homework assignments.
• Contact the teacher if your
on homework assignments or
habits.
child does not bring
child does not finish
child does a poor job
exhibits poor work
Written by: R. Cottle-Makhene
Seven most common
homework problems
• Child does not do his best work (the work is sloppy
•
•
•
•
•
•
and full of mistakes).
Child refuses to do homework assignments.
Child fails to bring assignments home.
Child takes all night to finish homework.
Child will not do homework on his own.
Child waits until last minute to finish assignments.
Child will not do homework if you are not home.
Written by: R. Cottle-Makhene
Study Skills
Tips for reading
• Read to your children.
• Listen to your children read aloud.
• Make regular visits to the library with your children and
help your child get a library card of their own.
• Give your children a gift subscription to a magazine.
• Encourage your children to write stories of their own.
• Turn off the TV and read together.
• Ask questions about the material that was read.
Written by: R. Cottle-Makhene
Tips for studying for a test
•
•
•
•
•
Determine what the test will cover.
Organize all study materials.
Schedule a time for studying.
Make a list of sample test questions.
If studying from a text book read
the chapter, take notes and review
the chapter.
Written by: R. Cottle-Makhene
So Remember…
• Homework is all about your children learning to make
choices.
• By teaching your children basic organizational skills and
improving their study habits you are giving them the
tools that will help them make good choices about school
work.
• They will understand that with a little planning they can
deal successfully with homework, do better in school,
and feel better about themselves.
• Practical knowledge plus increased self-esteem is a
winning combination that will help your children make
choices that are good for them-both in school and later
in life.
Written by: R. Cottle-Makhene
These helpful hints were adapted
from Homework Without Tears by
Lee Canter and Lee Hausner, PH.D.
Written by: R. Cottle-Makhene